A. Technical Field
The present invention relates to the generation and storing of electricity and chemical products and, more particularly, to systems, devices, and methods of concurrently generating power and electromagnetic radiation using renewable sources while producing chemical reactants.
B. Background of the Invention
Existing methods of generating electrical power through combustion of conventional fossil fuel energy sources are typically based on the utilization of a working fluid such as a gas or boiler-generated stream in a thermodynamic cycle in order to generate a motive force for rotating the shaft of a turbine, thereby, transforming chemical energy into an electromotive force that generates electrical energy. These methods are inherently limited by the maximum achievable Carnot cycle efficiency. In addition, the change of phase of material, such as the transformation of the water to steam requires large quantities of energy, most of which is lost in the form of heat due to condensation after exiting the turbine.
Alternative technologies that generate electrical power in the form of current and voltage from non-carbon-based sources suffer similarly from respective theoretical maximum efficiencies, for example, 59.3% for wind technology.
In contrast, solar cell technology using the photovoltaic effect undergoes an isothermal process that is not subject to power cycle analysis and the limitations of the Carnot cycle efficiency. Energy from the sun in the form of photons carrying energy or electromagnetic radiation can be harnessed directly to induce an electromotive force on free electrons to generate electrical power. Unfortunately, solar cells have inherent losses, such as FR losses, and the energy produced in the cell still needs to be stored before it can be transported and used. Until now, this made solar energy unattractive for applications such as the industrial-scale production of chemicals in capital-intensive facilities. What is needed are environmentally friendly systems and processes that efficiently produce chemicals while overcoming the above-described limitations.